


Those with teeth shall bite

by killerweasel



Series: Those With Teeth Shall Bite [2]
Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-10
Updated: 2013-06-10
Packaged: 2017-12-14 12:01:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/836647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/killerweasel/pseuds/killerweasel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There was no trial, just punishment.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Those with teeth shall bite

Title: Those with teeth shall bite  
Fandom: _Avengers_  
Characters: Loki, Tony Stark, Enchantress, Nick Fury  
Word Count: 3,007  
Rating: R  
A/N: AU after the events of _The Avengers_  
Warnings: descriptions of torture  
Summary: There was no trial, just punishment.

There was no trial, but Loki hadn’t really expected one. His brother had pushed him in front of Odin. The bindings on his wrists and the horrible muzzle over his mouth were removed. He’d never even had a chance to justify his actions, not that he actually could, before Odin banished him to a pit. The last thing Loki saw as he was transported was Odin wiping his fingers on his shirt, as if Loki was something vile he’d come into contact with.

After that, everything was pain. For the thousandth time, Loki struggled to free himself from the chains keeping him in place. He heard the serpent above him hiss. Closing his already ruined eyes did him no good. The venom ate through flesh like a hot knife through butter. He screamed, cursing Odin, Thor, and anyone else he could think of.

He wasn’t sure how long he’d been held in the pit. When his eyes managed to recover, all he could see was darkness. He’d never once caught even a sliver of light. Loki howled with rage, his screams echoing off the walls of the pit until that was all he could hear. He would occasionally pass out from the pain, only to wake in fresh levels of agony. The snake’s venom never ceased to drip on his unprotected face.

At some point, he’d started to hallucinate. He would hear voices or occasionally see glimpses of impossible things. He blamed his mental state on why it took him longer than it should have to notice someone straddling his waist.

“Loki.”

Sharp fingernails slid along his chest, pressing just hard enough to hurt. Her scent washed over him like a wave. He managed to keep from shuddering as the nails threatened to move lower. She was far more dangerous than he ever could be. He licked his lips, hoping to keep even the hint of fear from his voice. “Enchantress.”

“I wish to be out of your debt.” Loki barely had time to smirk about what she was referring to when something far sharper than her nails cut into the flesh covering his ribs. He fought the urge to scream as he felt her carving symbols. She chanted words in a tongue as old as Odin. Loki could feel the runes begin to burn him from the inside out. “Concentrate on where you’d rather be than here. Keep that thought in your mind.”

How was he supposed to think when he was burning? He attempted to ask her exactly what she was doing, but the words were trapped in his throat. Loki frantically tried to think of somewhere, anywhere he might consider safe. He latched onto a single thought and then he found himself falling.

He fell for an eternity. His eyes were useless, ruined by the snake’s venom. He had no idea where he was or how long it would be before he hit the ground. He had no magic to slow himself down. Then something slammed into him with great force catching him around the chest and knocking the air from his lungs. Instead of falling, he was now being lowered towards the ground at a much saner pace. Loki heard someone say his name in a very confused voice.

His throat burned, making it difficult to speak. He finally managed to spit out a single word. “Asylum.”

“What?” It was a voice he’d heard before and that explained why he felt like he was being carried by someone wearing armor. “Say that again, Loki.”

Loki could feel his limbs going limp and knew the rest would follow shortly. He struggled to stay awake a bit longer. “Stark, I need asylum.”

The grip on Loki’s body shifted slightly, removing some of the pressure from his ribs. “Granted. You certainly know how to make an entrance.”

Loki managed a very small smile before passing out.

\---

Loki woke with a gasp. When he tried to sit up, he discovered there were straps on his ankles and wrists, holding him in place. Something was covering his eyes and for a very brief moment, he panicked, thinking this was some new punishment from Odin. Then he remembered what had happened. He was in Midgard. He’d escaped that horrible pit.

Taking a series of deep breaths, which wasn’t easy thanks to the bruises Stark had made rescuing him, he worked on calming himself down. Struggling was futile. It would only lead to more pain than he was currently experiencing. From his waist to the top of his head, he felt like one massive bruise. Loki wished he could see, but he knew his eyes had not fully recovered from the serpent’s venom and they were better off shrouded in what were probably bandages.

His magic was still gone. Loki wasn’t sure if Odin had taken it away or if it was the result of the torture he’d suffered. He didn’t like feeling like this. He was too weak, too tired. He felt almost mortal. His lips curled up in a silent snarl at that thought. Wouldn’t his enemies just love it if such things were true? It was bad enough he wouldn’t be able to put up much of a fight if it came down to one. He was too vulnerable right now.

He tilted his head, straining his ears. There were voices coming towards where he was. That surge of panic started to rise up again and he fought it tooth and nail, determined not to show any fear. One could be weak and yet not seem afraid. He could feel his body trembling, which annoyed him to no end.

Loki recognized the voices when they grew close enough. He could hear Stark arguing with the leader of S.H.I.E.L.D. about what should be done with him. If he were handed over, the suffering at the hand of Odin would seem like nothing. He’d killed their people and their friends. Their blood was on his hands and they would want revenge. Not only that, but their scientists would love to take apart someone from another world.

The panic rose again and this time he couldn’t stop it. He would rather die than be taken to some facility somewhere to be experimented on. Loki pulled on the straps tied to his wrists, trying desperately to get at least one hand loose. He was so focused on what he was doing he failed to notice he was no longer alone. Someone was shouting his name repeatedly and then there were strong hands on his shoulders, pushing him down.

He felt the wounds on his chest reopen during his struggle, but he didn’t care. Loki could also feel the straps cutting into the flesh of his wrists. He needed to be free. How else could he be able to protect himself in this state? The hands on his shoulders increased in strength, driving him back towards the mattress. There were words coming through the haze of fear in his head. While he could hear them, they made no sense.

What little strength he had was quickly being used up. He’d been hurt for too long and was too weak to sustain this sort of effort. Loki made one last desperate lunge forward, shaking the hands from his shoulders. The hands didn’t touch him again. He sat there, panting like some sort of beast, as his lungs worked on supplying him with precious air.

“I told you he was too dangerous. Look at him, Tony. He almost broke free.”

“Put yourself in his shoes, Fury. He’s in an unfamiliar place. He’s tied up. He can’t see. And then he hears us coming. How did you think he was going to react?” There was an exasperated noise. “Loki?”

“Stark.” His voice hurt his ears. It had been quite some time since he’d actually spoken to someone. “I will not go willingly to one of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s facilities. I would rather die.”

“That can be arranged.” Fury’s words were laced with anger. Loki heard a click and then something cold and metallic was pressed against the side of his head just below his ear. “Do you know how many people I lost in your attack?”

“Do it.” Loki’s words came out as a hiss. The end of the weapon was starting to dig into his flesh. “This is your one chance for revenge. Even if you kill me, it won’t bring them back. Their deaths will still haunt your sleep.”

“Fury, put the gun down.” Stark’s voice was frighteningly calm. “He asked me for asylum and I granted it. You will not kill an unarmed, restrained man inside of my home. You are going to walk away right now before I have to do something we will both regret.”

For what seemed like an eternity, everyone stayed exactly where they were. Even when Loki could feel the metal from the weapon split the skin open, he held still. Finally, it was removed. He was beyond exhausted now. It was by will alone that he was still vertical. The trembling he’d felt earlier was back with a vengeance.

“You’re going to be responsible for him?” Fury snorted. “You’re barely responsible for yourself, Tony. He’ll kill you in your sleep.”

“If he does, then you can be thrilled with the fact that you were right.” Stark cleared his throat. “You and your men will not come back here unless I invite you or unless Jarvis sends you a distress signal. Are we clear?”

“You don’t give me orders.” A hand closed around Loki’s chin, twisting his face to the left. “I want you to listen to me very carefully, Loki. If you harm Stark or anyone else while you’re under his care, I will end you.” Fury shoved him backward before leaving the room.

“Well, that could have gone better.” Stark sounded as weary as Loki felt. “You’re a mess right now.” Stark’s voice was closer. Maybe he was inspecting the injuries. “Loki, I would really like to get you out of those restraints, but I need your word that you won’t attack me if I do.”

Loki’s laughter was just shy of being hysterical. “You would trust _my_ word. After everything that I’ve done, why would you even think about trusting me?”

“Oh, I trust you about as far as I could throw you with one hand while not wearing my suit.” Loki could almost hear the man’s smile in his words. “But you are bleeding like a stuck pig right now. You’ve clearly been tortured. The damage to your eyes has left you temporarily blind. You are exhausted both physically and mentally.” The bed dipped as Stark sat down next to him. “So I guess what really matters, right here and now, is if you can trust me.”

Loki could feel himself starting to sway. He tried to stay upright as long as possible, but it was a losing battle. As he began to slump sideways, he felt Stark’s hands on his sides, carefully easing his body towards the mattress. The hands had not only managed to avoid the more painful bruising, they were loose enough to prevent further harm. Loki licked his lips. “Stark? I trust you.” He missed Stark’s reply when he lost consciousness.

\---

The next time he woke, Loki found himself no longer tied down. Every instinct told him to take advantage of this and try to escape. That would be beyond foolish. He didn’t actually know where Stark’s home was, he would never make it very far on what little energy he had, and on top of everything, he couldn’t see. He could feel new bandages covering the wounds he’d gained during his struggle. Everything ached. He took a deep breath before carefully sitting up. A fresh wave of pain went through his body, making him whimper. Pain was good though; it meant he was still alive.

“Good morning, Sleeping Beauty.”

Loki flinched. How long had Stark been in the room? He’d never heard the man enter. Maybe Stark had been there all night, keeping watch. Loki turned his head in the direction of Stark’s voice. “Is it really morning?”

“The sun came up about an hour ago.” Stark pressed something cool and plastic into Loki’s hand. “There’s water in that. I already took the lid off for you. Drink slowly. I don’t think either of us wants you to get sick.”

He cautiously brought the bottle to his lips. He doubted Stark would poison him. Loki drank small sips, pausing between swallows to relish the feeling of cool liquid finally touching his throat. “Am I a prisoner here?”

“I’d like to consider you a guest.” Loki snorted at the thought. “Look, you can stay here until you’ve recovered from your injuries. I don’t know what will happen after that. We’ll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it.”

“Stark.” He paused, unsure of what to say. “Most people wouldn’t do any of this.”

“I’m not most people.” Stark took the now empty bottle back from Loki. “Don’t make me regret it.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Loki could tell Stark wanted to ask him something. He waited patiently for the other man to speak. When he didn’t, Loki spoke instead. “You want to know how I was punished.”

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.” Loki felt Stark’s hand touch his shoulder briefly. “I was thinking maybe you might want a shower first. I need to change most of those bandages anyway. And while you’re getting clean, I can make some simple food. You must be ravenous.”

The thought of washing away weeks of grime and sweat sounded glorious. Loki couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his face. “That is an excellent idea, Stark.”

\---

Days passed almost uneventfully. Most of the time was spent eating or sleeping with Stark occasionally engaging him in conversation. While Loki’s eyes had almost fully recovered, they were still overly sensitive to light. Stark had given him a pair of sunglasses to wear around the house. After a week, Loki almost felt like his old self again.

They were enjoying a meal in Stark’s kitchen when Loki began to speak quietly about what had happened prior to his arrival in Midgard. He wasn’t sure of why he was telling Stark anything; it just seemed like the right time to do so. Stark actually listened to what he had to say. Not only did he give Loki his full attention, he asked questions or had Loki clarify something to get a better understanding of what had happened.

The more he spoke, the angrier he became. Loki soon found himself smashing a stack of plates on the floor in a rage. Stark made no effort to stop him. When he ran out of plates, he switched to silverware and then glasses. By the time he reached a cupboard full of bowls, he was shaking so badly he couldn’t make his fingers do what he wanted.

Stark got up and walked over to where Loki was standing. He nudged Loki with his shoulder. “I think we need a break before you destroy my kitchen. We’re going to do something mindless for a while.”

The mindless thing turned out to be viewing colorful moving pictures involving a talking sponge. It was idiotic, which he mentioned numerous times to Stark, but it did help lighten his mood. The sponge was replaced by a boy and his dog going on adventures and sometimes battling monsters. They even watched something where a secret agent animal thwarted the plans of an evil scientist.

Loki drank the alcohol Stark handed him, shuddering a little when it hit his stomach. He could feel the other man staring at him. “What is it, Stark?”

“I have been trying to figure out why you showed up here. You had no idea where I lived.” Stark finished his own drink. “You had the chance to go anywhere.”

“I...” His fingers tightened around the glass. “Other than my brother, you were the only one concerned about what was going to happen to me after I’d been defeated.”

The silence they sat in was comfortable. The only noise in the room was the prattling of the characters on the screen. Loki got to his feet slowly and then walked back into the kitchen. He started picking up the larger pieces of the broken plates and tossing them into the bin in the corner. Stark came in a few minutes later, holding a broom. They cleaned up the mess he had made together.

“Loki?” Stark set the broom to the side and leaned against the counter. “I know you’ll be healed in another week or so, but if you want to stay longer than that, I don’t have a problem with it. Just keep the damage to a minimum.”

Loki stared at the other man. Stark’s offer was genuine. It suddenly dawned on him that the entire time he had been under Stark’s roof, the man had treated him like a person, not a monster. He had even gone out of his way to make sure Loki was comfortable while he was recovering. Loki swallowed a couple of times, suddenly looking everywhere but at Stark. He took a deep breath and managed to give Stark a grin. “Your offer is very generous, Stark. I may have to take you up on it.”

A huge smile spread across Stark’s face. “So, have you ever played video games?” Loki frowned in confusion. “I’ll take that as a no. Come on, I’ll introduce you to a whole new world.” He motioned for Loki to follow. “This is something I made myself; no one else has anything like it yet.”

For the first time in a long while, Loki felt like a massive weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He trailed behind Stark, only understanding half of what the man was talking about. His uncertain future seemed a bit brighter.


End file.
